By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

More bisons have been brought to Azerbaijan as part of the bison reintroduction project, Azernews reports.

The project was launched in 2019 by the IDEA Public Union, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, and the WWF Azerbaijan office (World Wildlife Fund).

Ten bisons were sent to Azerbaijan from Tierpark Berlin Zoo (Germany). The number of bison in the Ismailli section of Shahdag National Park has reached 41.

The project will be continued until 2028, with the number of bison estimated to reach 100.

Around 305 hectares of land have been allocated in the Ismayilli section of Shahdag National Park for the restoration of extinct bisons and their reintroduction to the nature of the country.

Since May 2019, some 26 bisons have been brought to Azerbaijan from Germany, Belgian and Dutch zoos, and their number has naturally increased to 31.

Although bison were once common in Eurasia in a very wide range, at the beginning of the last century, their population in the wild almost disappeared.

The last bison in the Caucasus Mountains was killed in 1927. The vast majority of bison in the world are bred in zoos, and efforts to restore the species continue in this way.

Taking into account the potential role of bison in the further enrichment of biodiversity in Azerbaijan and the development of forest ecosystems, the project organizers call on the population living in the northern parts and the general public to support the return of Caucasus bison to the Azerbaijani nature, their protection, and prevention of illegal hunting.